Weakness of the Scholar
by malciah
Summary: After the mission to Wave Uzumaki Naruto is plagued with self doubt and fears as to whether he can keep the beast locked up or lose control and go on a rampage. When the chunin exams begin a still wary Naruto declines to enter. No Pairings yet
1. Self Doubt

**A Naruto Fanfiction**

**Weakness of the Scholar**

**Chapter 1**

**Self Doubt**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any part of the Naruto Franchise except this plot.

**Summary:** After the mission to Wave and his use of the Kyuubi no Yoko's chakra, Uzumaki Naruto is plagued with self doubt and fears as to whether he can keep the beast locked up or lose control and go on a rampage. When the chunin exams begin a still wary Naruto declines to participate, much to the surprise of everyone.

**Author's notes: **Not much to say at the moment except; read on and enjoy...hopefully.

* * *

"Focus Naruto!" The order was backed up with a hook punch to the left side of his jaw and emphasised with a sweep kick to the back of his knees. Naruto pulled himself back up off the floor and settled back loosely into the starting kata of the academy taijutsu. He waited for his opponent to get in range before swinging a lazy, obvious roundhouse at his opponents face, which was blocked and then countered with a fist in his gut. Once again Naruto found himself getting intimate with the dirt. "Okay, I've seen enough, meet back here tomorrow at eight." Kakashi intoned before disappearing in a whirl of smoke and leaves. Sasuke, who had been sparing with Naruto immediately turned and began to walk away with Sakura swiftly in tow. Naruto hadn't moved from his position on the ground but watched them go a faraway look in his eyes. Memories sprang unbidden from the recesses of his mind; of an unfinished bridge and an effeminate hunter-nin who had befriended and then betrayed him, of looking at his team-mates lifeless body and the hurt and despair that went with it, of looking upon the masked face of his killer and wanting him dead, of losing control and for a brief moment, allowing the Kyuubi to have control.

Naruto shuddered and forced himself up to his feet and, by instinct, made his way home.

* * *

The apartment where he lived wasn't much, but it was Home. Naruto had lived in it as far back as he could remember, first with a guardian to look after him and then teach him to look after himself, and then on his own. The guardian had been nice, she treated him well, but at arms length. Now that he was on his own he felt a little lonely but knowing that he answered to no one when it came to how he lived was very liberating, and he chose to indulge that liberating feeling by eating what ever the hell he wanted, which in his case was _ramen_.

Not feeling up to eating his usual he spied the most recent of a long line of baskets of fruit and vegetables that Kakashi was always delivering with a thoughtful look, normally he would chuck them out at the first opportunity but at the moment...

Naruto grabbed the nearest piece of fruit, an apple, and began to eat it. _It isn't ramen but, not bad_. He thought.

* * *

Naruto tried to sleep, but it evaded him. Every time he closed his eyes visions of him infused with the Kyuubi leapt before his eyes and they wouldn't go away. He had told Kakashi that he didn't remember what had happened but he did, every detail. With them came the inevitable certainty that he would eventually lose control, he would give the fox free reign of his body. In his short life, Naruto hadn't feared much; Death was understandable, all things that lived feared the inevitable but that fear had been overtaken by another: To lose control to the fox, to become the complete embodiment of the evil and corrupt chakra he felt on the bridge in wave was too much.

Naruto dropped from his bed and huddled into the nearest corner on the floor. _Someone help me._ He thought desperately. _Help me fight the fox._

_

* * *

  
_

Unknown to Naruto a small cave, just on the border of Fire and Rice countries, slowly grew from a crack in a mountain wall. A small mist of chakra seeped out into the surrounding vegetation and took hold of the nearest animal, a fox with her cubs in a nearby den, and began to change them.

Satisfied with it's work the chakra's owner sent out a pulse that would be felt for miles around, most notably a young boy saddled with the most dangerous force of nature known to man.

The pulse of chakra was felt everywhere and by everything; plants shivered like the pulse were a passing breeze; animals scurried for shelter and a few small birds died as their chakra was poisoned by the wave; large predators stopped and turned towards the source of the chakra; civilians paused as the pulse caused their spines to shiver, they passed it off as nothing; shinobi stopped and tried to discern the intent of the chakra they felt, but when nothing came of it every shinobi shrugged it off and came up with their own theories. When the chakra pulse reached Sarutobi, he felt intent behind the chakra, it was seeking something, or someone.

Naruto's breathe hitched in his sleep as the last vestiges of the pulse reached him and washed over him. A second, more focused pulse of chakra quickly made it's way to him, his breathing faltered again and his pulse increased momentarily as the chakra invisibly covered him and started to do what it had set out to, impart a message.

* * *

In Naruto's mind-scape, the beast slumbered. The Chakra Pulse crept it's way towards the cage and surrounded the bars and paper the symbolised the seal on Naruto's stomach, and the beast awoke. It was angry at first and growled out it's frustration until it recognised the chakra, it instantly quietened down.

_Hello little Kyuubi_ The Kyuubi no Yoko hunkered down at the sibilant hiss, it wasn't the voice he was expecting but he knew that it was still _His_.

_When you disobeyed me, I was silent._ The chakra spoke. _When you forced your way onto this plane of existence, I was silent._ Kyuubi crouched down lower, if that was possible. _When Shinigami-sama was called in to seal you away, I was silent._ The chakra seemed to take on a menacing tone as it spoke it's last words. _But when you try to taint the soul of _this_ innocent, push him so far to call for _My_ help? I can no longer _be_ silent. You have crossed the line for the last time Kyuubi, your time is up._

_You have one week._

_

* * *

  
_

Naruto dreamed, he dreamed he was flying over Konoha.

He flew over the Hokage mountain and circled the Tower before heading out of the East gate and over Konoha's forests. Far to his right he could see a large clearing with a waterfall, it looked like there were some kind of statues, far to his left was a large canyon.

He flew on.

* * *

One week? One _week?!_ He dared to act like the Kyuubi no Yoko was still under _His_ thumb? Over his rotting chakra corpse!

The Kyuubi pushed his yokai out of his cell and into his container's chakra system, he didn't get far. Pale yellow chakra flared around the bars and stopped the yokai from getting any further. The voice soon followed.

_Now, now little Kyuubi._ It chided. _I now have a vested interest in this soul and I will not allow you to do _anything _to jeopardise Uzumaki's sanity, purity or health._ The Kyuubi stopped upon hearing his container's name.

Uzumaki, huh? No wonder he had been contained so easily.

* * *

Naruto flew over forests, clearings, towns cities and even what looked like another shinobi village until he began to descend into a clearing and stopped at the mouth of a cave, whispered voices began to leak into Naruto's hearing, as if they had always been there but he hadn't been listening. It sounded like the same voice but from to different people.

_Step forward_

_ comecloser_

_Uzumaki Naruto_

_ Jinchuuriki_

Naruto stepped into the cave and was blinded by the light inside, a shadow imprinted itself in the light, too blurry to properly see.

_In three days_

_ Threesuns,moons_

_You will have to make a choice_

_ Decide_

_Choose to fight or to learn_

_ Warrior,Scholar_

Naruto tried to speak but couldn't find the words.

_If you choose wisely, you will know what to do_

_ Certainty_

_Talk to your Leader, he will understand_

_ VenerableHokage_

"Who are you?" Naruto asked, finding his voice again. He couldn't see but he felt that the figure was smiling.

_You called and I came_

_ Su__mmoned_

"I don't understand." Naruto told him.

_You will my little Whirlpool_

_ LittleMaelstrom_

_Listen to your heart and mind_

_ Emotions,Knowledge_

_And whatever you decide_

_ Choose_

_You have my blessing_

_ Myconsent_

Something resonated within Naruto.

_It's time to wake up Naruto_

_ daybreaks_

_But let me impart some advice_

_ Asuggestion_

_Don't let the past rule your future_

_ Bindingchains_

_Don't let failures make you doubt yourself_

_ Limityourpotential_

_But don't ignore them either_

_ Blind yourself_

_You are young little Whirlpool_

_ Justababe_

_The young make mistakes, it goes with youth_

_ Withlife_

_The question is; do you learn from it and move on_

_ Gainexperience _

_Or wallow in it and falter_

_ Fester_

Naruto took another step towards the figure. "What do you mean?" He asked.

_Wake Konoha's Sacrifice_

_ Yondaime'slegacy_

_Today is a new day_

_ Meetitheadon_

Naruto woke with a start, scrambling to his feet immediately and scanned his apartment for intruders, he found none. He released the breathe he had been holding.

"It was just a dream." He told himself, over and over. "It was just a dream."...wasn't it?


	2. Self Worth

**A Naruto Fanfiction**

**Weakness of the Scholar**

**Chapter 2**

**Self Worth**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any part of the Naruto Franchise except this plot.

* * *

**Summary:** After the mission to Wave and his use of the Kyuubi no Yoko's chakra, Uzumaki Naruto is plagued with self doubt and fears as to whether he can keep the beast locked up or lose control and go on a rampage. When the chunin exams begin a still wary Naruto declines to participate, much to the surprise of everyone.

**AN: **I want to thank everyone who reviewed the first chapter. I don't have much to say beyond that.

Here's Chapter 2, enjoy...

* * *

Naruto's day hadn't started well, a bad prophetic style dream was followed by a lack of breakfast, he just didn't feel like it. It was about six in the morning, Naruto didn't trust his alarm clock; it always seemed to be a few minutes out anyway, and he knew Kakashi would be at least two, possibly three, hours late and Naruto felt like he needed to get something off his chest, the only problem now was, who? While Teuchi and his daughter Ayame were always willing to listen to him, and were opening up the stand as he stood in his apartment thinking, this was something that despite living and working in a hidden village that they wouldn't understand. Kakashi was too...standoffish, Iruka would mother him. That left the Old Man, but did he really want to bother the Hokage with this?

_Talk with your Leader, He will understand._

_VenerableHokage_

Snippets of his dream came back to him. The Hokage would understand, he'd always been there to listen to Naruto when he was younger, always treating him like he was family, He'd listen to him now right?

Naruto was out of the apartment and running across the rooftops before he realised he had made the decision.

* * *

Naruto, for the first time in his life, walked quietly and respectfully up to the secretary's desk, something not lost on the chunin kunoichi at it or the ANBU squad hidden in the reception hall. Naruto didn't recognise her but that wasn't anything terrible, the Hokage's secretarial position was still on rotation after one of them were found to be abusing her position, Naruto didn't know the how or why. Naruto placed a hand on the desk which was almost as tall as he was, and looked up at the chunin.

"Excuse me ma'am, is the Hokage in?" The chunin wanted to tell the container to get lost, she had had a long night and didn't want the hassle but there was a long standing order 'Uzumaki Naruto is to be given free pass.' She put on her best fake smile, the ANBU were watching after all, and leaned over the desk.

"Yes he is Uzumaki-san, do you have an appointment?" _Please say no_ she thought as she asked the question.

"Um...no, I was kinda hoping that he was free, or at least able to take visitors?" Naruto answered.

"I'm afraid he's busy Uzumaki-san." She answered, not noticing two ANBU walk down the stairs. "If you would like, I could arrange an appointment for you?" She offered. Naruto nodded and she started to tap away at her computer, a polite cough interrupted her.

"Actually Chihio-san, Hokage-sama _is_ free to see Uzumaki-san." one of the ANBU who had entered told her _you know this_ was silently added. "I will escort Naruto to his office, if you would follow me Naruto-san?" The ANBU,who was female, with a cat mask, gestured back to the stairs.

Naruto nodded quietly accepted the offer, he put one foot on the stairs and then stopped and turned back to the secretary.

"Y'know, Chihio-san, I've always preferred honesty, if you don't like me, then don't like me, hate me even. There's nothing that I hate more than people who hide behind fake smiles, like _snakes_ in the grass." He told her and walked up the stairs and out of sight.

* * *

Sarutobi Hiruzen had been in his office all night, not an unusual sight, the Chakra he had felt earlier had left him unnerved and he had sent several ANBU squads out when he caught a whiff of the second one. A light knock on the door stopped his musings, grateful for the distraction he called for the person to come in, An ANBU, followed by Uzumaki Naruto walked into his office. Normally the Third would be smiling at Naruto's appearance as trouble and excitement usually followed the blonde everywhere, but this time was different, Naruto was quiet, respectful. Nervous.

"What can I do for you Naruto?" He asked. Naruto waited for the ANBU to leave before he let everything out. He told his leader about the wave mission, from his excitement at finally seeing the outside world, to being frozen with fear at the attack of the two chunin, the Demon Brothers, to the fight with Zabuza, Kakashi's training, his outburst with Inari, falling asleep training in the woods and being shaken awake by a beautiful girl who imparted some wisdom to the blonde that stuck with him, to finding out that the beautiful girl was really a boy, to the attack on Inari and his mother, to his reckless entrance into the fight on the bridge that resulted in the 'death' of his team-mate. Everything came out in a rush of words and emotions and tears, Sarutobi kept quiet but was wondering just how much Naruto kept bottled up inside, he was especially wondering why Kakashi hadn't spotted the signs of PTSD that Naruto was beginning to exhibit.

After a pause Naruto admitted to Hiruzen that he could recall in frighteningly vivid detail exactly what he did under the influence of the Kyuubi's power, describing every act and every feeling to the Kage. "I felt so angry, Jiji, so mad, so sad...so powerful." Naruto choked out as the tears fell. "And as evil as it was, as-as scary as I must have been to others, I can't help but want to feel that power going through me again and that scares me." He said. A pause let the Hokage mull over what he had been told, Naruto had been through a trying experience, the whole of cell seven had but Naruto seemed to have taken a lot of guilt on board because of his use of the Kyuubi. But if it had been the one time Hiruzen didn't think just that would break the blonde.

"there's more, isn't there Naruto?" He asked, when his reply was a nod he sighed and asked Naruto to continue.

Naruto told him of Haku's defeat at Naruto's possessed hands and his sacrifice for his master, of Zabuza's redemption and death. He spoke of he and Kakashi burying the two and discussing what it had meant to be a shinobi. He told about his elation at being back in Konoha and the nightmare's that soon followed. He told Sarutobi every detail in the nightmares and how every time he would spar with Sasuke or Sakura, the nightmares would leap to the forefront and the fear that he would end up killing his opponent faltered him. Sarutobi was amazed by Naruto's analytical thinking, even if it was self depreciating. He described every spar he had been in since the wave mission and exactly where he had gone wrong in each one. When he tried, Naruto could be eerily smart, Hiruzen noted.

After a while Naruto came to yesterdays spar, how his hesitation had caused him to get smacked down by Sasuke again, the reason? He had charged Sasuke exactly the same way he had charged Haku when his mask crumbled, his brain had made the connection on it's own and thrown up the image and he had faltered, believing he had been giving into the Kyuubi once more.

Naruto stopped again and looked at the Sandaime like he was waiting for the admonishment that he was sure coming his way. Sarutobi smiled.

"Naruto, I can't tell you what you did was right or wrong, you are the first demon container this village has ever had and no one has really ever bothered to see how you would be affected mentally. These flashes you see could be your own guilt or it could be the Kyuubi trying to exert control. Judging from the nightmares you have I would be inclined to say it's the latter." He caught Naruto's confused look and decided to explain. "You described your nightmares in pretty good detail Naruto and that remind me of the Yamanaka mind abilities so lead me to believe that someone, or in this case, some_thing_ was pushing these images on you." Naruto nodded his understanding.

"But that doesn't really explain what happened last night though." Naruto said. To stem any questions the Hokage was bound to have he explained everything, from the strange feeling he felt at first to the dream that spoke in weird riddles.

"The person, figure-guy said I should talk to you, that you would understand and that's why I'm here." Naruto finished. Sarutobi watched Naruto for any hint that he was lying and couldn't find any. Part of him wanted to dismiss Naruto's 'dream' as nonsense but He had described the valley of the end and the 'Kyuubi scar', part of the area where the battle against the nine-tails took place, pretty accurately, not to mention the towns, one of which he could easily deduce was Tanzuku. The only anomaly was the shinobi village, though that could be a new one just starting up, Jiriaya might be able to help with that when he next stopped in. He thought everything over, the office was silent for a minute before the 'God of shinobi' spoke.

"While I want to tell you that that was all a dream, something tells me that someone or quite possibly something has decided to take an interest in you, it could be mortal but I'm inclined to think it's more...ethereal." He began. "Our line of work usually either swears people off religion or pushes them wholeheartedly into it, it depends on the personality, me? I'm an exception to the rule." he added to Naruto's obvious question. "While I am not a religious man, Naruto, I do not deny the existence of a 'higher power', the very fact that the Bijuu exist and this village owes it's continued existence in part to the Shinigami as well as to Yondaime-sama." Sarutobi explained. "And you Naruto." He added.

"What no-one, save a few, realise Naruto is that if you didn't exist, neither would we. You were the _only_ baby born that fateful day Naruto, and while I don't believe in an iron-rigid fate, I do believe in fair-handed destiny. While it may not be what you want to hear Naruto, I believe you were _meant_ to be the Baby that was integral to the Kyuubi's sealing, I don't know the reason exactly but I believe it's there." While Sarutobi expected Naruto to fall further into a funk his words were doing the opposite and lifting his spirit's, if only a bit.

"Ever since I heard about..it and when you talked to me about it I kinda got the thought into my head that it was a mission." Naruto added quietly, Sarutobi gestured for him to explain further. "The way I thought it through was that when the Kyuubi was sealed into me the Fourth was giving me a lifelong mission to insure that the Kyuubi never harms another human being, that I was the last person he gave a mission to...It sounds stupid now that I say it out loud but it's what got me through, I wasn't doing it for the village, I was carrying on for the Hokage, because that was what he ordered me to do." He explained, his voice slowly cracking with emotion. "And I almost failed." He added with a broken sob. The third sighed as he finally grasped the root of Naruto's guilt, he hadn't failed just himself but a man he had nothing but admiration and respect for. Which brought him to another bad thought. Naruto, despite the large fountain of goodwill he usually had for his fellow man had been slowly resenting the village for his cold treatment as he was growing up, finding out the reason had almost broken the boy, his last line of mental defence had been to turn his life, his very existence into a mission for the Hokage. The Third was cruelly and coldly reminded of Danzo's ROOT, the foundation of the ANBU spec-ops. Sarutobi couldn't have that, to have Naruto immerse himself in a self appointed sacrifice his 'mission' would become, something had to be done.

"Naruto." Sarutobi got the jinchuuriki's attention. "You call holding the Kyuubi a mission, I don't agree but when it comes to your mind only you can really know best." _Or the psychiatrist I'm going to have you see,regularly._ "So if you want to see this as a mission you need to realise that no ninja in all of recorded history has ever had a completely spotless record, everyone has failed at some point." He explained to the blonde. "It's how you deal with that failure that shows maturity." He intoned. Naruto's head snapped up from where he was looking at the floor

_Don't let failures make you doubt yourself_

_But don't ignore them either_

_The question is; do you learn from it and move on_

_Or wallow in it and falter_

It wasn't word for word but the gist was the same.

* * *

They can't do this to me! _He_ can't do this to me! I'm the Kyuubi no-_fucking_-Yoko and no one controls me!

Yokai smashed against the glowing yellow bars again and again, getting more desperate with each attack, which always failed to even shake the bars and was always preceded by a condescending laugh from _Him_.

_It's too late little Kyuubi, very soon all your chickens will come home to roost and you will get what you deserve, nothing._ Kyuubi stopped his futile assault, nothing? That was it's punishment?_ That's right little Kyuubi, absolutely _NOTHING.

* * *

After his personal talk with the Hokage they had moved on to safer topics, this went on for an hour before Hiruzen told Naruto that he had a meeting with the Elder Council that he couldn't blow off no matter how much he wanted to.

Sarutobi stood at his window and watched the orange clad genin walk through the crowds towards the training grounds.

"It is a sad day when Uzumaki Naruto's will falters." He said to seemingly no one, but was in truth speaking to one of the ANBU hidden in his office. "The tale he told, part of me feels it is an omen, that maybe the Yondaime shouldn't have forced such a burden upon so young a child, his own son."

"That could be true, but equally it could be a test." on of the ANBU proffered. "I don't know what it means exactly but I can tell you, Hokage-sama, that there is not a single trace of the Kyuubi's presence in his system but there is...something else." The old Hokage stiffened at the announcement.

"Is the seal weakening, Tenzou? Does it have anything to do with the chakra that was felt last night?" He asked.

"I believe the seal is still there, if it were not then we wouldn't be having this conversation, Uzumaki-san would be dead." Tenzou spoke. "As for the Pulse? I do not know, it is possible."

Sarutobi kept watching life happen in his village through his window as he slowly came to a decision. "Tenzou?" The ANBU appeared kneeling behind the Hokage.

"What is your will, Hokage-sama?" He asked.

"you and your team are to follow Naruto, inform me of his daily routine and whether you feel any influence from...other sources on the boy." He ordered.

"And what do I tell Kakashi-senpai?" The ANBU asked. It was a valid question, Sarutobi mused, Kakashi had been ANBU and would feel them around him.

"Do nothing, if he calls you out send him to me but do not tell him your mission, it is need to know and he doesn't." The ANBU nodded and he and his unit quickly disappeared.

* * *

Naruto paused at the edge of training ground seven, unsure of what to do. Any normal day would find Naruto trying to hide his slowly crumbling sanity behind a smile, an act had never wanted to do and didn't until the Wave mission but he didn't want to burden his team with his troubles, after all, they seemed okay about it.

But this wasn't a normal day, something inside him just wouldn't let him bring up the smile, like it was quite literally clawing it back onto a dank hole where no one would find it

_Today is a new day_

_Meetitheadon_

Another little sentence from his dream sounded out from his memories and he knew that hiding his problems behind a smile just wouldn't do any more. He walked towards the three tree stumps where his two genin cell-mates were waiting for their sensei.

"Morning Sasuke,Sakura-chan." Naruto greeted them. He dropped down quietly next to them and leaned back against one of the stumps, the one he had been tied up on. "No sign of Kakashi-sensei?" He asked, the reply was a confused negative from Sakura.

The training ground was quiet afterwards, uncomfortably so, until Sakura broke.

"Is something wrong Naruto?" She asked carefully. Naruto didn't answer her having zoned out, back into the dream-vision-thingy with the shadow-figure-guy. "Na-_ru_-to!" Sakura shouted, causing the blond to flinch.

"Did you say something Sakura-chan?" He asked her, instantly annoying the kunoichi who replied with a fist to the back of Naruto's head. Naruto picked himself up off of the floor and turned to face his female team mate. "what the hell was that for?" He demanded. He didn't get an immediate answer as Sakura was a little surprised that Naruto would even do anything other than take his 'punishment'.

That was the scene that Kakashi _shunshined_ into, two and a half hours late.

"Is there something going on that I should know about?" He asked. Sakura, upon realising her teacher was now in front of them rounded on him.

"Your _late_!" She accused.

"I was in a meeting, with the Hokage that took longer than I'd thought." He explained

"_Li_-wait that sounds almost plausible." Sakura faltered. Kakashi gave her a lazy, exasperated look before continuing.

"As I was saying, I was in a meeting with the Hokage about the upcoming chunin exams, I've nominated you three for them." He told them, producing three forms and tossing them to the three genin. "Now, signing up for the exams is something you should decide for yourself, it's a gruelling contest in combat, as well as other stuff." He explained further. "Take some time to yourselves to decide whether you want to want to sign up and meet your team mates ate the academy in two day's time." _Combat_ Naruto thought. _The way of the warrior_ he thought bitterly, thinking back to one of the few lessons he had actually taken on board in Iruka's class.

_Choose to fight or to learn_

_Warrior,Scholar_

Naruto stared at the form for a moment as the passage bubbled up from his memory; it was now obvious that this was the decision his future was riding on. So the decision was simple; would he do what he had done up to now and barge in to the fight recklessly, or would he step back and possibly learn something.

_And whatever you decide_

_Choose_

_You have my blessing_

_Myconsent_

It was his decision alone, that much was obvious.

* * *

"If you do decide to take the exam, the room it takes place in is room three-zero-one." Kakashi focused on Sakura. "I'll say it one more time, it's up to you whether you take this exam, no one else can make up your mind for you." He said meaningfully, he saw the doubt in Sakura's face, as well as the confidence in Sasuke and Naruto's...actually Naruto seemed pensive, Kakashi noticed with a frown, which mean the rusty cogs in Naruto's head were actually turning.

"Actually Kakashi-sensei, I don't need the two days to think about it." Naruto said, confidently, Kakashi began to relax, Naruto never backed down from a challenge. "I'm not going to take the exam." Kakashi nodded as if he knew what Naruto was going to say until his ears mentally flagged his brain to tell him exactly what he heard

"...What?"

"I don't feel I'm a good chunin candidate, I decline." Naruto told his sensei. Sakura had heard her dimwitted team mate but hadn't really registered what he had said. Before she could ask him why Sasuke beat her to it.

"Finally admitting your a coward dead-last?" He goaded. Naruto looked at his team mate for a moment before answering.

"Think what you want Sasuke, I don't care." He turned to Kakashi "Was that all Kakashi-sensei?" He asked his cell-leader.

"Are you sure you don't want to take the exam Naruto?" Kakashi asked carefully, he had been sure that Naruto would take the exam, the only reason he had even even them choice was to convince Sakura to take part of her own volition.

"I'm absolutely sure sensei." Naruto answered. "If that's all, there's some things I need to take care of in town." He turned to leave. "Good luck Sakura-chan, Sasuke." The three remaining members of Team 7 watched him leave.

"_Is_ there something going on that I should know about?" Kakashi asked again.

* * *

Naruto arrived back in his apartment early, he arrived early enough that he caught the mail just arriving through his door, there wasn't anything out of the ordinary; bills and junk mail. He dropped the chunin exam form on his dining table and headed straight for his fridge to grab another apple from the basket he had placed in there before heading out.

* * *

Kakashi stared at the wall while he waited to see the Hokage, he had a problem.

Whenever the jounin-sensei's got together all of them boasted about the skill and abilities of there genin, like proud mothers.

Kakashi was no exception; he praised Sasuke's genius in the Shinobi arts and Sakura's intelligence and perfect chakra control, downplaying the lack of reserves that went with it, he praised Naruto for his stamina and determination but like any teacher, he had a favourite, a protégé that he wanted to style in his own image like Gai had; Sasuke. He saw a lot of himself in the boy and while he didn't ignore his other students he did focus on Sasuke just a _little_ bit more.

As such the three sensei's for the rookie teams had gotten into what could be loosely called a pissing contest that ended with Kakashi declaring that Sasuke would not only get through to the finals but he would be the last genin standing. A stupid move in hindsight.

Which was Kakashi's problem, with Naruto backing out Sasuke couldn't enter the exam, which Kakashi was absolutely sure Sasuke would ace.

And the fact that the council _really_ wanted to showcase the Uchiha prodigy didn't help matters

"The Hokage will see you now, Hatake-sama." Chihio called to him. Kakashi stood up and quielty made his way up the stairs.

"What can I do for you Kakashi?" Hiruzen asked.

"I would like to request a temporary third member for my team." Kakashi answered. Sarutobi frowned.

"Why would you need a third member for your team Kakashi? I haven't seen any hospitalisation reports concerning your team." Kakashi coughed nervously before he began to speak.

"When given the invitation to partake in the chunin exams, Naruto declined. I'm one member short and I think Sasuke and Sakura have a seriously good shot at making chunin."_Mainly Sasuke_. He added mentally. "But without a third member he doesn't have a chance." There was silence within the Hokage's office for an uncomfortable minute.

"Let me get this straight; while it isn't compulsory, you gave your team the chance to choose to take the exam individually instead of informing them that the chunin exams are taken as a team. But because one of your genin has backed out you want _me_ to sort you out a replacement?" the Third asked, no emotion showing on his schooled features. Kakashi remained motionless. "The answer is no, Kakashi." The jounin deflated a bit at the proclamation. _I didn't want to do this but..._ "Then I officially request that genin Uzumaki be removed from team seven, permanently."


End file.
